Zuccon explains the design of the new SD96 and SL96 Asymmetric

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]nce again the partnership between Sanlorenzo and the Rome-based design firm led by Martina and Bernardo Zuccon partner breathes life into new suggestions, with two unprecedented proposals produced through a focus on new scenarios of life on board. Last May during the Sanlorenzo Press Conference at Triennale di Milano, the Rome-base architecture studio Zuccon International Project, presented the designs for two new yachts developed for the Italian shipyard: the SD 96, the new entry level model in the SD line, “a baggage of history and tradition sailing in a new sea” and SL96 Asymmetric, “a synthesis of languages, places and functions that can continue to write a new chapter”.

SD96 – With exteriors designed by Bernardo Zuccon and interiors by Patricia Urquiola, the entry level model in the SD line of semi displacement yachts by Sanlorenzo takes inspiration from transatlantic liners of the 1930s, making this concept of elegance its own.

During the conference, Bernardo Zuccon described the project, which is brimming with interesting suggestions and cues at the crossroads of tradition and the future, in these terms:

“The world of small ships is as appealing and romantic as it is complex, because it is inhabited by people who choose to live at sea for long periods of time, and they are people who don’t see time as a limit but as a luxury, and so need spaces and opportunities that often can’t be satisfied by yachts that are similarly sized but of different types. I worked on this aspect, fully aware that there is an important heritage to respect, one consisting of an image built and consolidated over the years, which has to be the main driver in defining what will happen in the future. Today’s market makes it imperative to rewrite certain typological balances in order to satisfy new demands for volume and functions. That is why SD96 hasn’t limited itself to preservation, embarking on a search for new scenarios where the possibility of exploiting spatial transformation enhances the experience of life on board. Some of the settings in this project change and adapt to different daily needs. Hermetically closed at sea, when at anchor the yacht gives the owner the chance to optimise the quality of life on board and satisfy their need to enjoy their time in the ideal conditions. This work was carried on without ever losing sight of two key factors: the volumetric balance of the stylistic features, which contribute to harmonising the proportions, and respect for such a deeply-rooted, indispensable and solid brand image.

The language therefore set itself the goal of searching for timeless classicality, where the hull is regarded as a key to interpreting the stylistic content. The choice of glass technology that is chromatically similar to the hull, capable of dematerialising the perception of ‘empty spaces’ that normally tend to weaken the ‘material’ strength of the hull, gives the surface a minimalism that projects it back to practically its most archaic image.

SD96 is a baggage of history and tradition sailing in a new sea, on which stylistic features and functions have been reinterpreted to help write a fascinating new page in the life of this shipyard”.

SL96 – Asymmetric has exteriors and a layout designed by Bernardo Zuccon, with interiors by Laura Sessa. The design consolidates the direction taken last year with the presentation of SL102, the world’s first asymmetrical yacht, and showcases the shipyard’s ability to work with the concept of space, reinterpreting it from alternative perspectives and exploring different ways to exploit it. SL96 Asymmetric is born of this approach, with a side deck on the starboard side, but not the port, because it has been moved up to the roof of the superstructure in order to free up a large surface area for the interiors and offer more space, light, relaxation and flexibility of use.

The concept of asymmetry springs from a meeting of different minds and creative approaches. Car designer Chris Bangle’s brilliant original idea has been developed by Bernardo Zuccon with the shipyard’s engineers and designers.

“Every project always begins by sharing an idea that represents a synthesis between the designer’s sensibility and the customer’s desires,” comments Zuccon, “in this case the input was clear: continue along the design path that began with the SL102 experience, setting ourselves the goal of preserving the stylistic features and languages that characterised the first product, while reworking them to give the new direction the identity it needs to add strength and credibility to range choices.

The objective was therefore to consolidate an idea, feeding and enriching the design process with new content and drawing strength from past experience. This yacht confirms the decision made when asymmetry opened the way to rewriting conventional balances on board, offering volumes that have always been used by other functions and most importantly creating new lifestyle scenarios and new perspectives capable of intensifying and encouraging the visceral visual, physical and emotional bond between man and the sea.

SL96/A is a container of life that chooses not to change its spaces and functions, transforming them instead to readapt to different dimensions and ergonomics, which nevertheless preserve certain functional and distributive principles.

It is also a container of life that chooses not to change appearance, preserving stylistic features and languages developed with the clear aim of becoming a living and integral part of the concept of identity that is so strong in this brand’s history. The focus is therefore on the details, on identifying a form of symbology that induces the eye to find those significant differences that make the product a clearly recognisable part of the range.

SL96/A is therefore a synthesis of languages, places and functions, one able to continue to write a new chapter that is already an integral part of its history”.